Cylinder Gap Test

Note the aberrant data point for the 16" no gap. As with the previous
ammo, all the data collected for this point would be consistent with the next
ammo in line (the Buffalo Bore .38 special rounds). We suspect that we
just grabbed the wrong box of ammunition for this one point.

barrel length

Black Hills, .357 magnum, 158 gr. CNL

.006" cylinder gap

.001" cylinder gap

no cylinder gap

18"

928

942

957

17"

888

901

941

16"

868

895

1080

15"

872

902

956

14"

878

896

944

13"

854

879

945

12"

841

871

927

11"

821

870

915

10"

828

864

906

9"

815

852

905

8"

814

855

889

7"

820

834

868

6"

805

810

855

5"

793

802

838

4"

765

782

816

3"

741

772

781

2"

688

706

722

Other Resources

BBTI is not the end-all of ballistics testing, just one more component
available for the common good. In addition to extensive discussion
about ballistics to be found at many gun forums, here are some other great
resources pertaining to ballistics testing you should check out. (And
if you would like to recommend a site to list here, please send an email.)

BrassFetcher:
excellent resource, with an emphasis on bullet performance in ballistic
gelatin

Terminal Ballistics
Research: Specializes in the research of cartridge & projectile performance,
using hard data gathered from 20 years of hunting game.

Acknowledgements

We'd like to personally and specifically thank Pat Childs at Fin & Feather in Iowa City, as he not only helped get most of our
ammunition and other supplies, he was the brilliant gunsmith who worked with us to make
this insane project much more practical. Without his help all of this would have
been much more difficult and perhaps impossible. Anyone who uses our data owes him
a debt of gratitude.

And thanks to our spouses, who were not just tolerant but enthusiastically supportive
of this rather nutty project.

Disclaimer

This project, and all of its results, is only our fault. We (well, Jim K,
mostly) paid for everything ourselves, and we did not receive any kind of sponsorship
or remuneration from anyone. We did all the work. We used products we
were either familiar with, or because they were what was available, and mentioning
them by name does not constitute an endorsement of any kind. Furthermore, the
data is provided purely for entertainment purposes - to better facilitate arguments
over what ammo or caliber or gun is "best." How you use the data is entirely
up to you. And if you think you could do better, feel free to spend the money
and do the work and publish your own results. Or not. Your choice.